Prison sentences were finalized for a woman who extorted money by threatening to expose that she was pregnant with soccer player Son Heung-min's child and for a male accomplice who tried to demand additional money.
According to legal sources on the 2nd, the Supreme Court's Third Division (Justice Oh Seok-jun) last month finalized, by dismissing an appeal, a lower court ruling that sentenced a man in his 40s surnamed Yong, who had been tried on an attempted extortion charge, to two years in prison.
A woman in her 20s surnamed Yang, who was tried alongside him, had her sentence finalized earlier. Yang was indicted on extortion and attempted extortion charges and was sentenced to four years in prison by an appellate court in April. She did not appeal, so the ruling was finalized as is.
In June 2024, Yang was indicted on charges of extorting 300 million won by threatening to make public that she was pregnant with Son Heung-min's child. It was found that Son, concerned about potential damage to his social reputation and playing career, gave Yang the money.
Yang and Yong, who were in a romantic relationship, also faced charges that between March and May last year they threatened to inform the media and Son Heung-min's family about the pregnancy and abortion to extort an additional 70 million won. The additional demand for money, however, remained an attempt.
Prosecutors brought the two to trial in custody in June last year. In December of the same year, the first-instance court said, "The victim (Son Heung-min) appears to have suffered considerable mental distress," and sentenced Yang to four years in prison and Yong to two years.
The appellate court reached the same conclusion. The second-instance panel said, "We find no change in circumstances to alter the first-instance judgment, and considering the defendants' evidentiary relations and the outcome of the crimes, the sentences do not appear excessively heavy," and dismissed both appeals.